World Cup Daily—Day 33: The Eve of the Semifinals

The final four get back underway on Tuesday.

⚽ World Cup Daily: Day 33 The semifinals kick off tomorrow. |  Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated We’ve now had over 24 hours without any World Cup action ... can we make it another day? The semifinals get started on Tuesday, and it should be worth the wait. Spain vs. France was many fans’ pick for the final before the brackets were set, but we’re getting that one game earlier than expected. Could we be looking at the best match of the entire tournament? With the top four teams in FIFA’s world rankings still in the competition, it’s no surprise that some of the biggest clubs in Europe still have plenty of players strutting their stuff on the global stage. Real Madrid may not have the most players left in the World Cup, but Los Blancos did recently celebrate an impressive new tournament record of their own. Plenty more records could come tumbling down at the 2030 World Cup if FIFA gets its way. President Gianni Infantino is ready to discuss expanding to a whopping 64 teams—but is that too many? WORLD CUP NEWS    Recommended by  Spain is back in action tomorrow. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated TOMORROW’S MATCH Spain vs. France - Arlington, 3 p.m. ET - Fox VISIT OUR WORLD CUP FAN ZONE  ⚽ Biggest World Cup Stories ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images (Bellingham), Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images (Mbappé), Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/Getty Images (Messi) The Contenders to Win the 2026 World Cup Golden Ball—Ranked READ MORE Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images/Getty Images FIFA President Teases Another World Cup Expansion READ MORE Justin Setterfield/Getty Images The Surprising Record Real Madrid Has Broken at 2026 World Cup READ MORE Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated Messi Shatters Yet Another World Cup Record in Argentina Quarterfinal Win READ MORE ⚽ Away from the World Cup Visionhaus/Getty Images Five Andrey Santos Replacements Chelsea Should Consider READ MORE Stuart Franklin/Getty Images (Kane), Aitor Alcalde Colomer/Getty Images (Alvarez) Transfer Rumors: Man Utd Plot Kane Move; Arsenal Step Up Alvarez Chase READ MORE Get the print edition of Sports Illustrated delivered to your door. Click to subscribe! 📽 World Cup Today: SI FC Show Join the SI FC crew in New York City as they discuss the biggest World Cup talking points.  ⚽ The Great 48 The 2026 World Cup will be bigger than ever, thanks to an expanded field that will bring 48 teams (split into a dozen groups of four) to the festivities. With the help of an artist connected to each nation who was asked to capture the spirit of the game in their homeland, we’ve got what you need to know about all of the competitors. CHECK OUT ALL 48 WORLD CUP COVERS Join SI The Post-Up A weekly spotlight on the biggest stories and in-depth reporting of women’s basketball—from compelling athlete features to sharp commentary on the latest news and scores. CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE 💬 Chat with us ... Join the conversation. Share your thoughts, story ideas and feedback with us at newsletters@si.com We may receive compensation for some links to products and services included in this email. Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. 625 Broadway, 10th floor New York, NY. 10012 You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the SI FC newsletter. You can unsubscribe here . Privacy Policy – Terms & Conditions © 2026 Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. All rights reserved. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. All betting and gambling content included in the SI FC newsletter is intended for individuals 21+ (18+ in DC, KY, NH, RI, and WY). Betting and gambling content, including picks and predictions, are based on individual commentators' opinions and we do not guarantee any success or profits. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER or texting 800GAM. Click this link to view the newsletter in your browser.